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Working at the Interface of Primary Care and Behavioral Health

The goals of Integrated Care: Working at the Interface of Primary Care and Behavioral Health are to educate psychiatrists about the fundamental shift underway in health care and to prepare them to be successful and effective in the new health care arena. The passage and implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act presents an opportunity for newly insured patients and for funding models of integrated care, enabling psychiatrists to have a more significant population-level impact. The only book of its kind, the guide defines integrated care, reviews the evidence base, and addresses the three potential benefits of this model of care: improved outcomes, cost containment, and enhanced patient experience (also known as the “triple aim”). The new models of integrated care presented in this book are population-based, which is the key to improved outcomes, and they represent a change in how medicine in general and psychiatry in particular will approach health care delivery moving forward.

The book’s features are both high-impact and user-friendly:

The book is divided into two sections, “Behavioral Health in Primary Care Settings” and “Primary Care in Behavioral Health Care Settings,” with Section 1 focused on improving the detection and treatment of behavioral health conditions by integrating behavioral health services into primary care settings and Section 2 focused on improving the health status of patient populations with serious mental illness by integrating primary care into behavioral health treatment.

Each chapter presents a set of “core principles of effective collaborative care,” which serve as a guide for the structure and provision of care for the varying models, regardless of the setting.

Contributors provide dozens of examples that highlight the impact psychiatrists can make in achieving the triple aim of improved outcomes, cost containment, and enhanced experience.

Detailed case vignettes integrated throughout the book bring concepts to life and help clinicians to understand and improve the patient-provider relationship.

The information presented in these chapters allows both practicing psychiatrists and those in training to develop a skill set essential to designing, working in, teaching, or promoting an integrated care program within a health care system. Evidence based and timely, Integrated Care: Working at the Interface of Primary Care and Behavioral Health is a must read for clinicians in the brave new world of health care reform.

During the next decade, typified by health reform implementation, psychiatrists will assume a new and important role by contributing to the health of outpatients with comorbid behavioral (mental health and chemical dependence) and physical health disorders. Integrated Care, edited by Dr. Raney, consolidates thoughts by integrated care experts on topics that allow transition from traditional outpatient psychiatric practice to collaborative care with medical colleagues in both primary care and specialty behavioral health settings. It is a must-read for psychiatric trainees and for early and mid-career psychiatrists since it will allow them to be in the vanguard of behavioral health professionals that improve care, health, and cost as a part of a more efficient and effective health care delivery system.—Roger Kathol, M.D., President, Cartesian Solutions, Adjunct Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, University of MN

Integrated Care is a much needed comprehensive review of essential psychiatric practice in the context of 21st century health reform. By providing models of collaborative mental health care in primary care settings and primary care in mental health settings, this volume addresses the clinical realities and public health imperatives of recognizing and treating co-morbid psychiatric and general medical illness. Psychiatric trainees, early career psychiatrists and everyone in the mental health field will find this of immense value.—Steven S. Sharfstein, M.D., President and CEO, Sheppard Pratt

What comes to mind is the Rosetta Stone. That single ancient rock is remembered today because of its value in translating and sorting out a variety of languages. With Integrated Care: Working at the Interface of Primary Care and Behavioral Health Lori Raney has skillfully brought together the multiple languages and vast experience with integrated care, and put it into one very useful document that is both scholarly and extremely practical. I have personally been involved with the design and execution of over three different integrated care projects here at Johns Hopkins. This book is going to become mandatory read for all our project staff. It is a great asset to the field. Thank you Lori and all for assembling such a valuable group of authors to provide such a valuable book.—Anita Everett MD, DFAFA, Division Director Community and General Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center